1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a device for feeding a document automatically, and, in particular, to an automatic document feeder suitable for use in feeding a stack of original documents or sheets of transfer mediums one by one in an imaging apparatus, such as a facsimile machine or a copier.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Recent facsimile machines and copiers are typically equipped with a fully automatic document feeding device which can feed a stack of original documents one by one in succession. Such an automatic document feeder, or simply ADF, generally includes three functional sections: document separating section, document feeding section, and document transporting section. Prior art automatic document feeders are typically large in size as well as in the number of parts, so that they are difficult to manufacture and unreliable in operation.